Where? This boutique is on Sydney's Oxford Street, an upmarket shopping strip lined with a mix of international fashion retailers, trendy stores, cafes and salons.
Who? Michelle Cooke, who shares her time between Sydney and London and worked briefly as a marketing manager, opened the boutique 13 years ago. Originally stocking labels from London, Paris and New York, BDB expanded to include Michelle's own clothing designs.
BDB has since been met with great fanfare both locally and in London.
Fashion finds: Melbourne-based label La Bella Donna shares the store and showcases classic evening wear made from silk and satin. Cooke's designs use bold fabrics and textures to create slim, sexy lines for party girls. The autumn/winter collection is inspired by the 1940s, combining sharp lines with soft feminine fabrics, and includes silk pussy-bow blouses, sequined low-cut cocktail dresses, satin tuxedos and column gowns. BDB is also popular for its jersey dresses.
The vibe: the decor of this 650 sq ft store is simple and contemporary.
The crowd: as the name suggests, BDB is not for the casual dresser. Customers are mostly young women looking for something to wear to a black-tie event, cocktail party or racing carnival. Supermodel Marie Helvin wore a BDB dress on the cover of British Vogue magazine.